HUH? NBC Picks Up Conan O'Brien Pilot

Interesting how, when one door closes to him at NBC, another door opens to him at the network. Perhaps this was part of his exit contract? (UPDATE: Nope. Conan and company were shocked!) Anyway, the pilot is called JUSTICE from O’Brien’s production company Conaco. Executive produced by John Eisendrath, it follows a Supreme Court justice who quits to start his own legal practice.

41 Comments

Matt • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

Dayum.

Karma would be it replacing The Jay Leno Show timeslot one day.

Simon • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

FTW!

Love it.

arsenio • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

Imagine if Americans demonstrated as much activity over the supposed leadership of their municipalities, states and country as they did over this irritating tempest/teapot late night dysfunction. This development is somehow evidence of how little it all mattered.

8movies5plays • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

Personally after being arrested and fired by the Z man I would shop the pilot around to the highest bidder.

Starting with Fox.

After all he doesn’t need the money and well when was the last good lawyer show on NBC.

1. La law

Does Conan really want to give the copyright license to any more characters to NBC.

2. CBS had Perry Mason and this premise sounds more like them.

Handel • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

Yikes. That sounds like a truly terrible premise for a show. I, too, am shocked that NBC would pick up something from Conan’s company, which has yielded nothing but expensive duds from day one. Would NBC have to pay another $45 million to make Conaco go away forever?

THESklartwins • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

KUDOS to NBC for picking up this pilot. The EP, John Eisendrath, is a BRILLIANT writer who created ESPN’s Playmakers,among the best original series of the decade. And Conaco shows excellent taste to work with John. This series will be GREAT! (unlike the worst legal TV show in history, NBC s’ “AUSA”)

Um, Seriously • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

If anyone thinks that part of Conan’s exit deal WASN’T that this pilot be picked up you know nothing about how show business works and should be barred from ever worked in this industry.

seriously • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

This cracks me up. Seriously, it had nothing do with Conan’s exit deal. That’s a fact not a wild speculation.

Justice for CoCo • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

I bet it was Leno’s fault! That bastard!

Crazy Joe Davola • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

What about my idea for a sitcom about a rightwing Republican justice who appoints a drunken imbecile to the White House as a favor to his father who put him on the bench, then quits the court to start a fried chicken franchise on the campus of Pat Robertson’s Regent University? I call it “Coop De’Tat.”

The show’s lead is going to be replaced by Jay Leno halfway through the pilot.

I know, obvious joke, but I couldn’t resist. ;)

Anyway, this kind of shows that there’s no room for resentment in business. Unless NBC plans to completely botch the show and cause it to wither and die. But there’s no way for anyone to tell the difference between a malicious plot, and just how NBC handles all its shows.

Jackie Venice • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

That cracked me up!

NYC • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

This just sounds like PR damage control. Obvis CoCo was the victim in the late night wars and NBC is trying to look like they are still in bed with him. Even though they didn’t lube when he took it up the caboose.

I’m sure they will trot it out and then cancel it when nobody cares about Conan anymore.

Frally • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

That’s the first thing I thought as well. NBC are trying to take some of the heat off of their unpopular decision.

RAVE • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

OH YEAH! Remember NBC just wanted Jay back on TONIGHT. They’re still cuckoo for Coco!

I can’t wait for the pilot about a former judge, now lawyer, who is hired to represent a disgruntled talk show host against a behemoth network and settles the case for $45 million plus a pilot about…a former judge, now lawyer, who is hired to represent a disgruntled talk show host against a behemoth network and settles the case for $45 million plus a pilot about…

Keith • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

I don’t want to believe that NBC picked it up merely for the “good” PR that might come out of this, but i’ll be damned if all signs don’t point in that direction.

Chris Hill • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

This is brilliant by NBC. By going into business with them, Conan looses a lot of credibility basing a routine on bashing NBC as he has for the last two weeks. If team CoCo was smart, they’d take the show with them to Fox and not kill off his golden ratings goose.

Well, when you are looking to fill 5 hours of primetime programming, you can’t really afford to hold a grudge.

Matthew • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

If nothing else, hopefully it at least means that Jeff Zucker is stepping back and giving the more level headed Gaspin the space to rebuild the network without interference.

What? • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

This is NBC’S third legal drama. Hope one hits.

Anom • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

Conan blows all credibility with this one. Poster above was right, Conan should have taken this pilot to Fox. And do we really need another “dramedy” about the legal system? Lawyers suck, period. (Except for the ones that represent me, heh-heh) “Nope. Conan and company were shocked!” Oh sure, right you are….

Phil • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

^ Anom, it was already being made for NBC. They could only shop it around if NBC passed on it, which they didn’t. It’s all sorts of screwy the way these contracts and things work out.

writefunny • on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 pm

Wow. It’s amazing how little most of your posters know about the television business. Conan and his company most likely have a first look deal with NBC so they have no choice unless NBC passes on one of their projects. Then they can shop elsewhere.

As for NBC, picking up a pilot from Conan is perhaps the worst decision they could have — wait. Okay, maybe like the 37th worst decision they have made this year. Let’s give more money to the man who constantly made fun of us on our dime and then walked away with a huge chunk of our money.